Shivaleeka Oberoi Defends Katrina Kaif Against Postpartum Trolling: ‘This Is Motherhood’
Shivaleeka Oberoi has spoken out in support of Katrina Kaif after she got body shamed on social media after her last public appearance. She pointed out the insensitive responses on social media, pointing out that women in India go through postpartum recovery and that they should not be held to unrealistic standards of what it is to be a mother after delivery.
Katrina Kaif, who has also had her first child with husband and actor Vicky Kaushal in November 2025, has kept herself away from the media since becoming a mother. Recently she made a rare public appearance in Mumbai where she was seen with Vicky Kaushal at the funeral of filmmaker Kuku Kohli who died on August 25.
Though the couple’s appearance seemed to be taken on such a solemn occasion, Katrina’s pictures and videos were posted on social media very quickly. Instead of focusing on the circumstances of her appearance, a lot of people started commenting on the actress’ appearance and post-pregnancy body. Some said her weight and appearance were poor, and some made mocking comparisons.
The trolling was not unnoticed. Shivaleeka Oberoi, a mother herself a few months ago, took to social media to call out the mindset behind such criticism. Sharing a post featuring Katrina, Shivaleeka questioned the reactions by writing “Kya ho gaya hai means?!?! This is Motherhood!"
She wrote that postpartum recovery doesn’t have a fixed timeline or look. “This is what normal postpartum recovery looks like – the good, the bad, the bloating, the exhaustion and everything in between,” she said. Shivaleeka also advocated for mothers to reconsider the unrealistic picture of motherhood that is often promoted online.
“Stop glorifying a version of motherhood that doesn’t exist,” she said, cautioning that women should not be expected to be back to their pre-pregnancy bodies after giving birth.
Another part of her post was Shivaleeka’s disbelief at the nature of the comments directed at Katrina. “After seeing multiple of such posts in the last few days… can’t help but think how ridiculous the thought process is!” she said.
The actress’ comments have also triggered a wider debate about what’s really going on with celebrities in the world of what they look like as new mothers (and women in general). Public figures are expected to present a certain image, but postpartum recovery can involve significant physical and emotional changes. Shivaleeka’s message was that these are part and parcel of motherhood, and therefore not something to be ridiculed for.
Katrina has had a fairly private life since the birth of her son. She and Vicky announced their pregnancy in September 2025 and their baby boy Vihaan was born on November 7, 2025. The couple, who got married in an intimate ceremony in Rajasthan in December 2021, have kept their family life away from excessive public attention.
Katrina has also kept professional commitments fairly low-key since becoming a mother. The actress's last movie was the 2024 film Merry Christmas, where she was opposite Vijay Sethupathi. She has not made a major return to the screen since then; motherhood is now at the forefront of her life.
On the other hand, Shivaleeka’s own motherhood experience adds personal context. She has been through postpartum herself and her comments speak to the physical changes and challenges women face after childbirth.
Even so, the episode has raised questions about the culture of celebrity body scrutiny on social media. Public figures are often subjected to comments about their appearance, and postpartum bodies are a particularly sensitive subject. Shivaleeka’s strong response is a reminder that motherhood has no predetermined physical appearance and women need empathy and not judgement during recovery.
Katrina’s recent appearance may have attracted unwanted attention online, but Shivaleeka and others have helped make the conversation more meaningful: postpartum recovery is personal, natural and different for every woman. Rather than expect new mothers to conform to all kinds of unrealistic beauty standards, society should give them the time and space to recover and get used to the changes they face in motherhood.
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